What I Learned at YC'99

Hi y'all! I'm here, sipping a pepsi and eating a granny bun, and I should be outside, or doing something productive, but God was speaking to me to write this to you guys, so here I am, telling you this. This last weekend I went to YC, for those of you who went, you will understand what I'm about to say. YC is a youth convention that had 6800 people this year, and had concerts with Out of Eden, Rebecca St. James, and Audio Adrenaline. Next year its gonig to be in the Sky Reach Center, and they are aiming for 12000 kids!I'm going to speak about what I learned and what I noticed about my life. So, sit back and listen up if you want.I would really appreciate it if you read this through, I know its long, but its what I want you to hear, so please read it all the way through, it would mean a lot to me!!!!! Thanks a billion!! Ok, we had two speakers this weekend, Sam Farina, and Jeanne Mayo. They spoke in incredibly different ways, both had the same goal, to strengthen and teach us. Sam's first message was about being judged. In Rev. 20, it talks about us being judged. It talks about how the seas will give up its dead and so will Hades. God has a record of everything we have done in books. Though he doesn't like having them, he does have them. Everone will be judged for what they have done, for its written in this book. When people sin, and they think, "well, no one was here, nobody knew what I did" you are DEAD wrong! 3 people saw it, the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost! IT says that everyone will see the sin that you have done in your life. WE have to remember that just because no one sees it, it doesnt' make it alright, it's still sin, and has the same effect in your life. And, its not freedom to do these things. Some people think that they are free, because they feel they can do whatever they want. However, doing these sins aren't freeing you, they are trapping you, to a future you have no control over. EVERYONE WILL SEE YOUR SIN WHEN JUDGEMENT DAY COMES! However, Sam used this example. All during the service, he was taking pictures of us as a crowd. he had a record of us, we couldn't do anything about it. However, at the end, he opened out the camera, and pulled out the film strip for everyone tosee. What happened? It was erased. EVerything that had been recorded was gone forever. We need to remember that. If we ask for God's forgiveness, it erases all that we have done and said. Our past is empty. We need to turn to God. Darkness and light can not live together. We can't do anything half way. It's no fun to do anything half way. As God said, he spits out lukewarm christians from his mouth. He does not like it. Some people like to have just enough God to make it to heaven. Theystill want control of their lives. however, we can't have that, we must fully give our lives to God, EVERYTHING! After his service, Sam told us he had empty film canisters for those of us who came up for forgiveness(I was one!!). We are supposed to hang it somewhere that we can see it often, and others. I'm going to get myself one and hang it in my soon to be vehicle if I ever get one! That way, when people ask you what it is, you can say, its my life, empty of all sin, and I'm free to go to heaven. When some of you go to your parties and stuff, you seem to forget that Jesus is sitting right beside you. When you go places, accomodate it for two. Would Jesus like this? Dont' watch movies that you wouldnt' watch with Jesus, dont' read magazines that you wouldnt' read with Jesus, dont' watch tv shows you wouldnt' watch with Jesus, don't go to internet sites that you wouldnt' click on with Jesus. You should be able to say to Jesus, hey Jesus, let's go watch this movie, remember, he's going with you anyways. Make him proud! Ok, that one took longer than I thought! Moving on to another service! The next one was given by Jeanne Mayo. What an interesting woman, she was calling us dearies, sugar boogers, she was definetly a wonderful woman! She has led two great youth groups, her one is at 1000 members. What an amazing feat! So, this service was called Freedom from beauty and the beast. It dealt with male/female relationships. If you take a look at 2Samuel 13:1-19, it talks about Tamar, who was a virgin. HEr step brother, Jonadab loved her very much, but he could never be alone with her. so, he pretended to be sick, and told his dad he needed Tamar to come and look after him. Finally he was alone with her. He asked her to sleep with her, and at first she resisted. However, she finally gave in to him. After they did, he no longer loved her. ACtually, he hated her more than he ever loved her. See, the minute lustfulness is satifisfied, it becomes selfish, and all it can say is " be gone". Did you know that 75% of marriages that had intercourse BEFOre marriage end up in divorce? Now, purity doesn't just deal with actual sex. It deals iwth body, mind, and soul. Jsut because you are not sleeping with someone doesn't mean that you're mind is staying sexually pure. There are those that go to internet sites and fill their minds with sexual pleasures, there are those that dream of being with others impurally. We have to remember to keep our eyes, mind, and body pure. See, a lot of girls wonder why when they were tight shirts, and show their bodies off, leading guys on that they want to go farther than they wanted to. They like to blame it totally on the guy, however, its like this, if a guy falls off a building, its awfully hard for him to stop midway. We need to remember for us girls, dress respectably, don't place yourself in an area or position that can lead guys on in that way. However, guys are not completely out of blame. They need to learn more control and respect for the opposite sex. hmm, now on Saturday, the girls and guys were split up. Girls were talked to about our wedding day with God, and preparing for it. Let's take a look at this scenario. It's the day before our wedding, we are all excited about getting married. The night before, you just HAVE to try on your dress ONCE more, there is no hurting trying it on again. You try it on, you look absolutely beautiful, this dress was made JUST for you, it fits so perfectly. You have been admiring yourself soo much, that you look down at the clock and notice its midnight already! you dont' want bags under your eyes, so you go to bed, but you went to bed in your dress! You wake up the enxt morning, and hope out of bed. Your dress is all wrinkly from sleeping in it, but you hope nobody will notice, besides, nobody will be up too close. You go upstairs to make yourself some breakfast. You take some orange juice, and somehow you spill orange juice down the front of your wedding dress. No problem, you blot it out, and its just a faint yellow tinge. Nobody will notice, not unless they are upclose. Then you wipe some wonderful strawberry Jam on your toast. Somehow it slips out of your hand and lands jam down on your dress. You quickly pick it up and and carefully blot that stain too. Nobody will notice unless they are examining your dress closely. You go into the bathroom, and pull your hair back in some morning clips, you know how you like to pull back just strands to wash your face. So, your face is shining clean, and you take off for your wedding. You arrive late for your wedding, and as you hop out of your car, you notice your train got stuck out the door, and their is a giant grease stain where it caught. Also, your train is all tattered form being dragged along the highway. You figure nobody will notice, besides, its behind you. You begin to walk down the aisle of your wedding, everyone gasps! You have orange stains down your front, a jam stain at the bottom, your hair is a mess,a nd you have no makeup on, plus your train is filthy, plus your entire dress is a massive wrinkle. NOw, nobody gets ready for a wedding this way. but God says, how come his bride gets ready for their wedding in this way? We seem to forget that we are engaged to God the minute we accept him into our heart. WE live with filth and hurt, and dirt in our life, and we hope nobody will notice. However, people will, it will stand out. We need to say to God, look God, I wrecked my dress, I need you to make it like new again fo rme, and he will. be the beautiful bride that he expects. Also, many of you are just ANCY to start dating, you seem so unhappy without dating. However, you are engaged already. If you can't be happy being with God, and single with humanity, you'll never be happy dating. You have to be able to be happy to be alone on a Friday night before you'll be happy being with someone. now, relationships are very important, but don't make them your focus point in life. Wait utnil God is ready to share you with someone, because then you'll know he/she is hte one. He's praparing you both now, and when you are both ready, he'll reveal you to each other. I know this is true. Don't forget it! Now, those are the services I remembered my books for, their were 3 more services, all equally important. I remember talking about with Gideon's battle. have you ever read the story? Gideon and his army were the good guys, and the bad guys were the Midianites. This story if found in Judges 6-8. Now, the Midianites had an army of 100,000 people, and Gideon had only 10,000. However, God spoke to Gideon, told him he had too many men. IF you want to read how this selection occured, read it in Judges 7. However, it ended up being only 300 men against 100,000. Now, the weapons that Gideon and his army were as this, trumpets, jars, and a torch, plus the strength and faith to do this. So, the three hundred hundred men surrounded the Midianites. At Gideon's cue, they blew their trumpets, and smashed their jars. Then they yelled, " A sword for the Lord and for Gideon". The Mideonites saw the torches and thought it must be Gideon coming to destroy them. The panic that filled them made them turn on themsleves. Gideon and his army overcame the Mideonites. Talk about faith! No weapons, a torch, jar, and trumpet. What an amazing story!!! We have to have faith like that with God. WE WILL NEVER BE PLACED IN A SITUATION THAT WE CANNOT HANDLE!! Many of you have heard of Cassey, the girl from Littleton who was shot 7 times in the face for confessing to be having Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Though her body is dead, she is just as alive now, perhaps more! She is dancing around the throne of heaven, along with Jason Lang, the christian who died here in our own province in Taber, Alberta. They set out a banner for us to sign for the Taber school. This banner was at least 20 feet long. WE filled BOTH sides with signatures, prayers, and verses. God's love was unbelieveable! Jason's dad came and talked to us. When his wife prayed, she prayed for the boy accused of killing her son, and that he may come to know you, and that she forgives him. That has to be one of the most difficult htings to do, but it make syou think! If she can forgive the boy who killed her own son, who are we not to forgive those that wrong us everyday? One man asked, "how many times should I forgive my brother for what he does to me? 7 times?" and Jesus replied" 70 times 7 times." As many times as it takes we need to forgive those that wrong us. Never forget that God loves us more than you can imagine, and that more than anything he just wants to reach out and hold you! Accept him, let him know you care! I dont' knwo if I've ever praised God more than this weekend. My hands were raised, as if reaching for my father. You know how when you were young and you wanted your dad to pick you up and hold you? well, that is what it is like. You are reaching out to your father in heaven. I felt God's love so strong in my life. I never once felt ashamed for praising God to the fullest. When they had the alter call, and hundreds and hundreds of people streamed to the floor, I started to bawl. God touched so many lives, and he was so present in that room. And when those young lives went to another room to a new beleivers class, they got a standing ovation that lasted for over 10 minutes! We were all so excited about the life they had been given, we wanted to give them all a hug! Let me tell you that YC helped me become a stronger christian. My commitment this weekend was to become a more fruitful christian, and share the gospel as much as I can! I want to help those in need, and pray for those I love! The theme this weekend was FREEDOM, and I beleive many were freed!! I know I was! I saw changes in people sitting right beside me, it was amazing! So, with that, I am going to leave for now! I'm sure I will write more another day, I have much more to tell, but I think this is long enough! For those of you who read this whole hting, thank you, and God Bless you! Reply what you think if you want, I would love to hear what you are thinking! I'm praying for you all, your all sooo special in mine and Gods eyes! "I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. WHOEVER FOLLOWS ME WILL NEVER WALK IN DARKNESS, BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE." John 8:12

Verses to Check Out

• Malachi 3:13
• John 8:14
• 2 Corinthians 6:14

Email: sijnya15@hotmail.com